Optimal Dam Site Selection Using Google Earth Engine (GEE)

Dam Site Suitability Mapping Using Remote Sensing and GIS

What you'll learn
- Understand how to use remote sensing and GIS principles to assess terrain, land cover, and hydrological data for dam site planning.
- Develop skills to analyze elevation, slope, and proximity to water bodies using satellite datasets and Google Earth Engine.
- Build and implement a dam suitability model in Google Earth Engine, combining multiple spatial criteria to evaluate optimal locations.
- Visualize, classify, and export suitability maps for real-world applications in environmental planning and hydrological infrastructure projects.

Requirements
- No prior experience with Google Earth Engine is required — the course will guide you step-by-step.

Description
Dams play a vital role in water resource management, energy generation, and flood control, but selecting the right location is crucial for their effectiveness and environmental impact. This comprehensive course introduces you to modern geospatial techniques for optimal dam site selection using satellite data and cloud-based processing in Google Earth Engine (GEE).

You will start by understanding the fundamentals of remote sensing and GIS, learning how satellite imagery and elevation data can be used to assess terrain and land characteristics. Next, you’ll dive into site suitability mapping concepts, exploring how to integrate multiple spatial criteria—such as slope, elevation, land cover, and distance from water bodies—to evaluate and score potential dam sites.

The course then provides hands-on training in Google Earth Engine, a powerful platform that allows you to access vast geospatial datasets and perform complex analyses with scalable cloud computing. Through step-by-step examples, you will develop a dam suitability model by combining spatial data layers, applying scoring systems, and classifying locations into low, medium, and high suitability zones.

Beyond technical skills, this course emphasizes sustainable and practical approaches to infrastructure planning, helping you make informed, data-driven decisions that consider environmental and social factors. Whether you are an environmental scientist, urban planner, civil engineer, or GIS enthusiast, you will gain valuable expertise to apply geospatial analysis techniques in your projects, fostering smarter and more sustainable dam planning.

Who this course is for:
- Students, researchers and professionals in agriculture, environmental science, geography, or remote sensing looking to apply satellite data in real-world scenarios.
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